Police Annex evacuated due to leak from fire suppression system

The Police Annex on Police Memorial Drive has been evacuated after multiple people complained of a suspicious scent.

Savannah firefighters responded to the facility right before 9:30 a.m., when communications personnel started complaining about eye, nose, and throat irritations.

SFES Hazmat crews entered the building and isolated the irritant to the fire suppression system. It was determined that a chemical called Heptaflouropropane leaked out, which is a compressed gas that is used to suppress fires in electronic equipment. Southside EMS treated 14 people on scene and transported two.

The annex houses a variety of services, including a county tag office, the SCMPD West Precinct, and emergency communications. Dispatch personnel relocated emergency communications and the 911 system to the Emergency Coordination Center at the Savannah Civic Center. SCMPD relocated its precinct operations to alternate sites.

Around 4:50 p.m., SCMPD stated the building was safe for re-entry.

For more information concerning the facility's operation, contact Chatham County Public Information Officer Catherine Neal Glasby, at 912.652.7897.